AI-generated representational image.
BENGALURU: Bengaluru Rural police have arrested three youths in connection with the alleged gang-rape of a 27-year-old woman near Nelamangala Tuesday night. The survivor, originally from West Bengal, works as a beautician for weddings and other functions and lives with her husband and two sons. Another woman from her hometown and a man from Assam, a friend of her husband, also reside in the adjacent rented house. Her husband was at work when the incident occurred, according to sources.As per the survivor’s complaint, five men barged into the house, claiming to be local police, around 9:30pm on Oct 21. “They accused us of possessing ganja and being involved in a flesh trade, and demanded Rs 1 lakh. They then attacked me and another woman with a cricket bat and a machete. My friend nearly lost consciousness, but I managed to resist. They gagged my younger son and my husband’s friend, locking them in the toilet. Three of them dragged me to a room in the adjacent house and raped me. They also robbed Rs 25,000 and two mobile phones,” the survivor stated in her complaint.
Her elder son, who was outside at the time, contacted the police control room. A patrolling Hoysala police vehicle soon arrived at the scene, but the suspects had fled the scene by then. The survivor, who was immediately shifted to a nearby hospital, filed her complaint from her hospital bed. Madanayakanahalli police registered a case of gang-rape under Section 70 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and launched a manhunt and in less than two days, cops detained a few suspects, including juveniles, for questioning.“By Wednesday night we arrested the accused – Naveen, Kartik, and Glani – and Thursday afternoon, three more suspects—Suyog, Jangli Prithvi, and Seena—were taken into custody. We are still searching for the prime suspect—Mithun, who orchestrated the attack and involved others,” a senior from Bengaluru Rural police officer said.Preliminary investigations revealed that Mithun, a local resident, had disputes with the survivor. “The family has been living here for six months. Mithun and the survivor had frequent arguments, and he had threatened to teach her a lesson. That is why he brought his associates, posing as police, to carry out the attack,” the officer added.Police said while three men allegedly raped the woman, two accused have stated they only beat her and stole cash and phones. Both the survivor and the accused have undergone medical examinations, and the reports are expected to provide further clarity on the incident.
